As fiber to the home is extended into more and different living units, the cables used must provide more and more resistance to difficult installation requirements. In many cases, methods of installing cables made of copper are employed for fiber optic cables. The installation conditions and bend and impact rules are different as copper is a malleable metal and conducts electricity regardless of physical shape and does not degrade significantly under poor installation conditions. Optical fiber cables of small diameter must be protected against many new forms of installation abuse that do not affect copper drop cables. These include sensitivity to sharp bends and resistance to impacts such as flat staples installed along structural building components such as beams and trim boards.